Skinny Love

four o'clock a.m.

a note. I know I don't put author's notes at the beginning but I thought that this was important so here it goes: I changed The Maze Runner in chapter four to The Fault In Our Stars because it works better with this chapter.

this has been edited

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"When I lie, I don't want you to accept that I'm lying and drop the case. I want you to force me to tell you until I've broken down on the floor and no apologies will stop my tears. Until that breaking point, I expect no less."

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A TEXT FROM LYDIA BEAU TO ADAM HALE

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ADAM HALE SHOWED UP at my house at precisely 6:32 P.M, exactly 28 minutes shy of when we were supposed to be at the theatre. My mother was nowhere to be seen, as she was doing night shift at the hospital. She had called earlier to remind me that I was in charge of taking care of my sisters Adam was wearing a heavy jacket and jeans and for once, I felt good about not dressing up for the occasion.

His face was pale except for the light flush on his cheeks, either from being here or from the cold. And I was never going to say it, but he looked almost younger when his face was like that. There was a winter hat messily placed on his head, as if he had put it on there at the last second.

 "Um, hi Lydia Beau," he told me, his voice just above whispering, like he was scared that someone would hear him. He looked conflicted, as if he was holding the weight of the world not on his shoulder, but by a single finger.

The tight ponytail on my head shook around a lot when I moved so I attempted to stay as still as humanely possible when I looked at him. I raised an eyebrow at him. "How did you find my house exactly?" Last I remembered, I never gave him my address. my stalking suspicion was quickly put away when he muttered 'Calliope' under his breath. Of course. 

"Are we walking to the theatre?" I asked him, peering outside the window closest to the door. The next theatre was only a thirty minute walk. The only issue with that one was that we would be late for The Fault in Our Stars. And sue me, but I've never read the book. The only thing I knew was that it was a cancer love story. It was already giving me the shivers. I knew cancer. I knew it better than anyone.

"Of course not. My dad's letting me borrow his car." He rolled his eyes at me, as if my suggestion screamed idiocy. Adam was wringing his hands, and tugging at the hems of his black sweater.

"Then shall we go?" I asked him theatrically, bowing and holding out one hand, as if I was from some Prince Charming.

He gave me a small smile, which frankly only lasted a millisecond, but it was the one I was delighted to see after being deprived of it for a while now. He didn't take my hand but spun around and began his descend towards the door which was just as good. 

"You can take care of yourselves, right?" I called out toward my sisters. It wasn't the most ethical idea to leave them alone, but they had been alone enough times when all of our work schedules didn't have a free slot to be with them.

"Yeah," the smallest one, Wei called out. "Where are you going?" She appeared by the doorway. Seeing Adam, she gave me a not so subtle wink and said, "I got you."

I rolled my eyes at her ridiculousness. 

Adam and I headed toward the car, truck more like it judging by the shape and size, which didn't look like it was top condition. There were several scratches lining up the door, and Adam looked a little sheepish as he walked me to it. "It has thirty four scratches on it."